


Heart in My Hands

by DrHu



Series: The Willful Flower [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Custom MU, F/M, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Reincarnation AU, Revelations Route, Revelations Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2019-01-06 17:24:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12215424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrHu/pseuds/DrHu
Summary: Having spent his whole life with her, Leo thinks he knows Asagao better than most. But war has a way of changing people, and now he wonders how their relationship has changed. The only clues he has are the products of her craft, and Leo has to try to piece together the words she's hidden within them.





	1. Old Habits, Broken Hands

**Author's Note:**

> A moment in a Revelations run where the avatar has inherited memories and knowledge of the events of Birthright and Conquest, but has told no one.

When she was little, Leo remembered that Asagao would try to take apart anything she could get her hands on.

From chairs, tables, clocks, anything was fair game if it couldn’t be broken when taken apart. It would drive the servants mad, clearing up rogue screws and random furniture pieces from the floor. They would complain about how they should somehow child-proof the entire northern fortress, lest she systematically destroy the stonework itself.

But Leo knew better.

Sometimes he would walk in on her sitting amid scattered pieces of a toy. At first he thought she had simply smashed the thing to pieces. But one look at her face told him a completely different story.

For such a young child, she had the most intense thinking face. The Nohrian prince watched as she sat there for hours at a time staring at the pieces strewn about her feet. So deep was her concentration that sometimes she would never notice his presence until much later.

And if he waited long enough, she eventually pieced the object back together.

He had no idea where she procured the small set of tools sitting next to her, but they were proof she wasn’t breaking things for the fun of it. When children broke things, they _broke_ things. It was spontaneous, fast and chaotic with little thought behind it. But Asagao was more delicate than that; she was meticulous and handled with care.

At first her interest was limited to her toys. She’d take them apart and then put them back together the way they were before. But as time passed, she grew more creative and started mixing them together to create entirely new combinations. A toy carriage would somehow gain legs, a dragon figure would have its head replaced by a horse’s and its tail would become a fish’s.

Once he came across her staring at several complicated, shiny mechanical bits, and he realized that she had found a small clock and took it apart. She’d experiment, putting different pieces together, figuring out which ones went where. And after awhile, she would painstakingly reassemble the entire thing and place it back where it came from, without a trace that it had ever been touched.

Some time afterward, a grandfather clock within the castle broke, causing the hands to run inconsistently and chime at unexpected times, irking everyone in the castle. None of the staff had the expertise to fix it, and while they had requested someone to come, it was such an insignificant task that no one would likely show up for weeks. Asagao would often be caught gazing up at it only to be ushered away.

It had gone off during one of his visits when he least expected it, and Leo nearly shot several meters into the air as the booming chime rang through the halls. The blue-haired princess was with him at the time, and he complained loudly to her about how irritating the thing was.

“I can’t read or concentrate with that ridiculous contraption going on and off like that!” he hissed, having had his nose buried in a tome before the clock set off. “How do you and rest of the staff live with it like this?”

Asagao only shrugged. “I’m used to it by now. Everyone else has just done their best to avoid going down that hallway as much as possible.”

“No one can do anything? Why don’t they just throw it out?”

She bristled a bit. “Apparently it’s an antique so everyone is too afraid to get rid of it. And we sent word to have someone else come fix it but… It’s such a small thing to come all the way out here for so it might take some time before someone arrives. I’m sorry that it’s bothering you, Leo. We can find somewhere else for you to study, if you’d like.”

“I can’t. I don’t want to have to carry these books farther than I have to.” He shook his head in dismay. The library within the Northern Fortress had a fairly good selection and possessed materials that weren’t readily available in Castle Krakenberg. The downside was that it wasn’t that far from the broken clock, which made immersive reading rather difficult.

“I’m sorry, Asagao, but if this continues I may not be able to come here until the blasted thing is fixed. It’s too hard to focus.”

This caught her attention, and she looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes. “Wait, not come back? You don’t mean that, do you?”

Leo’s heart sank at the tone in her voice. “I… I wish I didn’t have to do that, but it’s too inconvenient to be too far from the library… Not to mention it might go off during the night as well.”

“But it could be weeks before someone comes to fix it…”

“I know, and that’s why I don’t know how much I can stand…” He pursed his lips. It did make him feel guilty, seeing the hurt on her face. In an attempt to console her, he continued, “But I’m sure Xander, Camilla, and Elise won’t mind. They’ll still come regularly.”

“But… I want to see you too, Leo…”

He wasn’t sure what to say at that. Silence settled between them, long enough for him to wonder if she was mad at him. Minutes passed, and then Asagao suddenly stood up, wearing a determined expression on her face. Leo, startled, watched as she marched out the door for a moment.

When she returned, he called, “Asagao?”

“Leo? Will you promise to keep a secret?”

He blinked, leaving his seat as she ducked behind some shelves, reaching her hand into a tight, obscured corner. There was some rustling before she pulled her arm out, gripping a small box.

“What in the world is that?”

She lifted the lid and Leo spied a multitude of tools sorted into various compartments. And here he thought her tools had been permanently taken away from her. It looked like she managed to steal some back and became smarter about where she stored them in the process.

“I found this compartment when I was bored. It’s where I keep the things I don’t want them to take away,” she explained. Looking up at him, she said, “Promise me you won’t tell anyone that this is here? Not even Xander and the others. Please?”

He promised, too impressed to do otherwise. Satisfied, Asagao beckoned to him as she tucked the toolbox under her arm and left the library. Carefully checking the hallway, she darted up to the broken grandfather clock.

“Alright, I’m going to fix this thing, once and for all.”

“You can _do_ that?”

“I’ve been trying to figure out how to fix it ever since it broke, but every time I tried to get my hands on it, they wouldn’t let me.” Asagao rolled her eyes. “They thought I’d only break it more than it already was, and even if they believed I knew how, they would probably say, ‘This is no job for a princess of Nohr!’ So I left it alone, but since it’s bothering you so much, I’ll finish the job myself.”

Leo recalled the disassembled clock and everything started falling into place. All this time, it was never about random tinkering. She wanted to learn how things worked.

But before they could do anything else, footsteps echoed from the end of the hall. The princess quickly tucked her toolbox into her arms and tugged Leo behind one side of the clock.

“Why are we hiding? I’m here, they won’t do anything drastic.”

“That’s true but I don’t want them to see this,” she whispered, nodding down at the box in her arms. “There isn’t a good place to hide it out in the open like this except for--”

Before she could finish her sentence, a long _gong_ interjected, vibrating through Leo’s entire being. Pressed so close to the actual source, it was especially grating to his ears this time, and he gritted his teeth. Down the hall they heard the sounds of an irritated outburst, as well as footsteps moving in the opposite direction.

“Oh, I keep forgetting not to come near this hallway when I don’t need to!” a voice groaned. “Honestly, why we can’t just throw the blasted thing out is beyond me…”

The two children waited until the last of the footsteps disappeared before they wheeled back in front of the clock, giving Asagao an opportunity to remove its face. Never did Leo think he’d actually be grateful for the ungodly clang.

“Ah, I see what’s wrong,” Asagao said. “Leo? Do you think you could help me and hand me some things as I go?”

“I… Uh, yes. I’m...not entirely sure I know what all of these are, though…” Leo had knowledge of many subjects, and he was embarrassed that this was not one of them.

“Don’t worry. I’ll describe what I need to you. They’re easy enough to tell apart.”

They worked as quietly as they could for several minutes, Leo assisting as best he could. When she didn’t need anything, he couldn’t help but try to peer through the face at the inner workings of the clock. And he was amused to learn that the girl would quietly mutter to herself through the process.

“It’s so old, everything is so _dusty,”_ she noted in a low voice to no one in particular. “No one’s probably looked inside this thing for ages. Some of these pieces are too tight against each other… And this part is somehow completely out of place… Did Felicia fall onto this at some point…?” He heard sounds of metal grinding and creaking and saw her twist something he couldn’t make out.

Luckily they remained uninterrupted during the whole affair, and when it was fixed to her satisfaction, Asagao retreated from within the device and shut the face. After a few moments trying to figure out the time, she wound the minute and hour hands into place before dusting her hands off.

“There, looks like I did it right,” she mused.

“Just like that?”

“Yes, just like that. Nothing was broken to the point where a replacement was needed. I just… moved some things back where they should be. Oh, and I made it so it wouldn’t be quite so _loud_ anymore as well.” She flashed him a smile before gathering her tools. “Thank you for helping me, Leo! It went much faster than I thought it would because you were here.”

“...You’re welcome.”

“So… Does this mean you’ll still come to see me like you normally do?”

“If it’s been truly repaired, then yes. I’d be more than happy to. I suppose we’ll see in… about half an hour.”

Asagao grinned, clutching the box to her chest. “Okay, that’s great! Because I have something I’ve been wanting to give you!”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Well, I haven’t finished it, which is why I haven’t given it to you yet… I’ll have it done soon though, I promise! I want it to be a surprise.”

They returned to the library and sure enough, they heard the now softened chimes of the clock when they were expecting it to. Eventually the staff noticed, judging from the voices outside. The prince couldn’t help but give Asagao incredulous looks every now and then. She only smiled in response, pleased with her work.

Next time he returned to the castle, sure enough she was there, wearing the same grin as before, waiting for him with a small rectangular object in her hands.

“I hope you like it,” she said a little nervously as she presented it to him.

Unwrapping it, in his palm sat a slender wooden box. It was smooth and finely made, and a latch on one side told him that there was something contained inside. Nestled within,  cushioned on soft velvet, were a set of what looked to be custom writing utensils. The barrels were lined with silver metal, finished with golden tips and clippings. A curly, branch pattern was etched into their sides. Lifting one, Leo was struck by how perfect the weight felt in his hand; not so light that he felt he’d have to press harder into paper to compensate, yet not so heavy as to hinder his writing speed.

“You made me a set of pens?”

“Y-yes. I thought, since you seem to be busy with so much parchment, that you could use something more durable than a feather quill…”

“Where did you even get some of these materials?”

“Well, I admit I had to ask Jakob to help me order some materials from outside the castle… That was mostly for the metal… But I assembled everything, and made the overall designs. You can fill them with ink, see?”

She showed him a small chamber within each pen that could fill with ink and offered a demonstration. Sure enough the pen generated smooth, clean strokes that Leo swore looked even better than those made by conventional quills.

“And… Uh, well if you’re feeling rather _secretive,_ I also made it so you could put small pieces of paper inside instead of ink. So… You know, just pass the pen to someone who knows how it works, and _voila,_ secret message sent! With no one the wiser.”

Leo arched an eyebrow. “I never took you for the sneaky type.”

“Oh! It’s not… I’m not… You see, I came across a book that told a story of spies, and how they were trying to topple an evil monarch. At one time, one of them got caught because someone noticed something suspicious in the way they were communicating with the others. And that’s when I thought, they shouldn’t have made it so elaborate! Something simple would have worked much better, like… Lending someone a pen! There’s nothing suspicious about that.”

“Keep this up, Asagao, and I might have to report your suspicious behavior to Father…” he teased.

“What? Oh, no, no, Leo, please! You wouldn’t, would you? I’d never hurt Father! I’ve never dreamed of it! I just thought you might have fun using them like that, but you don’t have to! Please don’t tell…!”

Her franticness earned a lighthearted chuckle from him. “It was a joke. But really, thank you for putting in the time to making these for me. I’m sure they’ll be quite useful, actually.”

“Oh! You’re welcome. I… I had fun making them. I’m so happy you like them.”

They took their seats within their usual place in the library. Leo tested out his new pens some more, copying a few lines from a nearby tome. He contemplated them as he twirled the thin implement between his fingers.

“So… Those are all the features of these pens?”

“Yes, that’s all… I was actually thinking of adding a small blade you can release and retract,” she admitted, but the look on Leo’s face had her backpedaling, “N-not for any nefarious reason! I just thought in case you ever found yourself in a situation where you needed to defend yourself it would come in handy! But in the end I decided against it. No hidden blades, I promise! D-don’t look at me like I’m some criminal!”

“...I appreciate it, but I’ll be inheriting Brynhildr soon enough, so a blade won’t be necessary…”

“Oh yes, I remember Xander mentioning that. Are you excited?”

They conversed about various things for a little while before Leo asked her a question.

“Asagao? Where did you learn how to… you know, make and tinker with these things like you do? Because you’ve been doing it for as far as I can remember, and there isn’t anyone within the fortress who could teach you.”

The princess’s brow furrowed, and she scratched her face as she tried to remember. “I… don’t remember? As far as I know, I figured it out on my own.”

“On your own?”

“Well, I remember combing through a few books with diagrams to help me. But yes, most of what I know just comes from experimenting on whatever I can get my hands on.”

“I remember you used to take apart whatever you could when we were younger.”

“Well… I still do that, but I’ve just gotten better at hiding the evidence,” she chuckled. “But yes, it was the most straightforward method of learning how things worked at the time.”

“Alright, you learned on your own… But where did the interest come from in the first place?”

She thought for a long time before shaking her head. “I… I don’t remember. Or at least, I don’t remember much. Now that I think about it, it’s not something that comes out of nowhere, is it? But like you said, no one in the castle tinkers like I can… I don’t really know, Leo. All I can say is that something about making these things feels… _familiar_ to me somehow. Just… as far back as I can remember, at the beginning when I just took things apart and put them back together, something about it felt comforting to me. I can’t really explain why. But it still feels that way, to this day. Making things and watching them work… It just feels like I’ve seen it done for a long time, even though I can’t remember when I first encountered it.”

“I see… And you enjoy it?”

“Yes… It’s hard to explain. I like creating things, I suppose. To be honest I… would like to learn some magic. More specifically, enchantments. It would be nice to see what I could do with enchanted objects, you know? I wonder if I’ll have time to squeeze it into everything else though…”

“I could teach you,” he blurted out.

“R-really?”

Truth be told, now that he was older, and with his acquisition of Brynhildr on the horizon, he wasn’t entirely sure if he’d have the time to tutor her properly. Asagao had tried magic in her studies before, and while she was capable, she knew the payout wasn’t enough for her to fully pursue it for the time being. Still, enchantment was a different beast than normal spellcasting, and it was something she had actually never tried in her limited time in magical studies. He’d try his best at least.

She smiled at him again, promising to do her best with what he could offer as well as more gifts in the future.

For years, it was their little secret. Xander and Camilla were aware of Asagao’s interest in the field, and Elise had been given a few handmade toys, but out of all of them, he alone was blessed with the newest and best of her creations.


	2. The Words She Can't Say

Within their base of operations on the astral plane, Leo walked towards Asagao’s workshop.

It was a fairly small building consisting of two rooms, placed next to the small spring located within the base. With a knock he entered, and it struck him how far she’d come since the days where she would hide her tools within hidden compartments in the castle walls.

For a workshop it was fairly clean and organized. Along one side of the room was the princess’s alchemical setup. Glass vials, potion ingredients, and heating implements were carefully positioned along the counters, a witch scroll opened off to the side. He spotted a green liquid being siphoned in the far corner and shook his head. It would probably be better not to ask, lest he receive another round of excited, long-winded explanations. And while he did enjoy listening to her, now was not the time.

On the opposite side of the room, placed in the corner, was a large table meant for her more mechanical projects. A mini shelf full of small bits such as screws and nails sat on the tabletop, with a magical lamp on the other side. Some tools lay strewn about, but most of them were stored within large boxes underneath the desk. Larger gadgets were hung on the walls or simply propped up against the wall. As Leo walked past a door within, he felt a faint breeze of weak magical energy emanating from the room. It was there that Asagao conducted her enchantments, having designated a separate space for it to minimize the risk the magic could pose to the rest of her work.

Asagao was sitting at her tinkering table, turned away from the door with the lamp turned up brightly as she peered very closely to something in her hands.

He cleared his throat. “Asagao, Xander wanted me to pass on some information to you. Do you have a moment?”

“Oh, Leo, you’re here! Yes, I’ll be ready in just a moment. Would you care to sit down?”

She pulled up a nearby chair and gestured to him. Leo sat opposite of her, unfurling some scrolls with his notes, written with the same pens she designed for him years ago.

Scanning over his notes, he relayed, “Scouts that went back into Valla tell us that for now the area is clear of any hostiles, though seeing as how our enemies can appear out of thin air, it’s little to go on. Terrain is seems to be uniform throughout all of the islands that we’ve been able to spot so far. There are ruins everywhere; nothing intact seems to have survived.”

“I suppose in a fight they’ll be useful if we need cover,” Asagao muttered to herself. “Any sign of how to actually get between islands? I’m not entirely sure if we’ll see teleporters consistently from here on out.”

“The scouts didn’t find anything definitive, but when they examined the islands, there appear to be… _ports_ of some sort. Small docking bays for… something. It’s possible they have something to do with getting between the islands, but they didn’t get close enough to find out for sure. And then…”

Leo shuffled his parchment around, scooting forward towards Asagao with a more serious expression than normal.

“There have been reports that we may have a breach within the astral plane itself,” he noted. The princess’s eyebrows shot up and she sat up a little straighter.

“Where? How close to the base?”

“It’s not confirmed, but not terribly close. From the reports, it looks like the enemy was searching for something, with no apparent direction.”

“Who submitted this information?”

“Saizo and Mozu. The latter had been out gathering what she could find outside and she apparently spotted something out of the ordinary. Saizo was able to support her claim, as he was able to get close enough to discern its movements.”

“He didn’t attack it?” The thought of Saizo _not_ rushing in and immediately dispatching a threat felt out of character to her.

Leo shook his head. “They weren’t sure how many of them there were. And it seems that after various… _lectures_ he’s received, he thought it would be better to simply report back rather than dive right in, with just the two of them.”

For the next hour or so, the two of them drafted plans for extra defenses around the fort, changed around some guard postings, and drew up schedules to send out scouts to help identify the threat. Tools were shoved aside and replaced with various pieces of parchment, slowly being covered in thin marks of ink.

When they did as much work as they could manage, Leo rolled up all the parchment and stashed them away in a bag.

“I’ll make sure to get these to Xander and rest of the royal families. Hopefully we can set everyone to work right away before they have a chance to surprise us.”

“Yes… The fort has been invaded before. I won’t take any chances.”

“Is there nothing Lilith can do?”

“She defends the fort as well as anyone else here and does her best keeping us hidden but… It’s not like she can block entry to the entire astral plane. I know it seems we might be more at risk since we’re closer to Anankos, but his power diminishes here just as it would outside Valla. We’re no more at risk here than we were before going through the Bottomless Canyon. All I can think to do is to defend against anyone who happens to show up.”

“Is that what you’ve been doing in here this whole time?” Leo nodded toward a large wooden figure on a table nearby. It was short, maybe coming up to just under his knees. Its face resembled that of a human--though it was a rather unnerving resemblance--except for the jaw and mouth. Its portly body was carved to look like nondescript Hoshidan garbs, and its feet were replaced by wheels.

“Oh, yes, I’ve been modifying the puppets. I’m hoping to make them more mobile and...hit harder, I suppose.”

Leo grimaced a bit as he stared at the machine’s empty, painted wooden eyes. “I don’t think the Hoshidans have any right anymore to accuse Nohr of unsavory aesthetics when they have… _those_ things at their disposal.”

“What, you don’t like them?”

“I find them...unnerving.”

She snorted. “Says the mage who can summon a horde of Faceless at his beck and call.”

“You get what you expect with Faceless. They’re straightforward. These things though… They remind me of dolls. And dolls should not… look like _that._ Can you imagine waking up in the middle of the night and that thing being the first thing you saw?”

“Well, I’d be pretty unnerved if there was a Faceless in my room too, I just want to say…”

She laughed when Leo groaned and rolled his eyes at her semantics. “Just try to keep those things away from me. I know they’re on our side but I can’t guarantee I won’t blast them into oblivion should they get in the way.”

“I promise.”

As a sign of goodwill, Asagao moved the puppet farther away, throwing a cover over it to appease him. When she sat back down, Leo nodded towards her desk.

“What were you working on when I came in?”

She picked up the small object and placed them on her face, displaying to him a pair of rather odd spectacles. Besides the main pair of glass placed in front of the eyes, attached to the side of the frames were other, smaller sets of glass within frames. Asagao placed her hands on the frame, and Leo watched as she slid the various frames over the original set of glasses.

“Glasses? Going blind already?”

“Leo, you say that as if you _want_ me to go blind! Do you want me to lead this army off the side of an island? You remember that not everyone in this army can fly, yes? Now, I’m not an _expert_ like someone here, but I’m fairly sure that getting everyone killed isn’t a sound tactic.”

He smirked. “That would be a reasonable conclusion to come to, yes.”

“Well, dearest Leo, for your information, they’re spectacles that allow me to see things from… _different_ perspectives. Here, see for yourself.”

Asagao slid the glasses off herself and offered them out to him. Leo arched an eyebrow at her but took the accessory and placed it over his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was that another set of lenses had been placed over the original. For the most part, everything looked normal, with the exception of a faint shimmer that seemed to be glossed over his vision. Giving Asagao a look of slight confusion, she held up a finger before grabbing a levin sword and holding up before him. Leo sharply inhaled in surprise as he noticed a bright, crackling energy emanating from the surface of the weapon.

“That’s not activated, is it?” he asked, though he had seen enough of a fully brandished levin sword to know that this was not it.

“It’s not. Do you have Brynhildr on you?”

He didn’t, but she made do with a spare scroll. Like the sword, he could see it exuding an aura of light, but it was softer than the blade, one that settled around the scroll. Leo pushed the spectacles off his eyes to look between the magical sword and the scroll before putting them back on.

“This...identifies magic?”

“For those particular lenses, yes. I had been thinking of developing these since my first encounter with those invisible soldiers, but I thought maybe I could extend its use to just magic in general. I could make some adjustments to the tempering of the glass, and the enchantment needs to be improved, so I still have a lot of work to do with them… But I’m hoping these help with spotting enemy forces.”

By now Leo had removed the glasses and was examining them with his naked eyes. Each set of the adjustable lenses did indeed have an enchantment placed on them. They were rather simple, so he wasn’t sure how effective they would be for Asagao’s intended purposes at the moment. But he was still impressed with her handiwork.

“If you would like, I could help with fine-tuning the magic on these.”

“Would you? I’d be so grateful if you could, Leo. I’m hoping to make it so they could detect a wide range of magical presences as well, such as traces of it left behind and whatnot. I thought it would help our scouts a great deal if I could broaden the utility… I don’t want to inconvenience you in case you had anything else to do. I know you have your own studies you wanted to pursue...”

“Please. If I can be of any help, I would be more than happy to give it.”

“Well, it’s not something you need to worry about right now. This is only a prototype design. Practically speaking, spectacles aren’t the best things to wear into combat, so I’m hoping the final design will involve more...leather and metal… Something that would bind to the head, perhaps…? Anyway, I would appreciate the help greatly.”

They conversed some more over plans for the design of the lenses, eventually shifting to various other projects Asagao had going on. They went on for a while as the sun began to set, before they reached a momentary lull in their  discussion. Leo took that moment to cast his gaze around the workshop once more.

It was rather stunning when he and Xander finally joined Asagao’s army, upon learning just how much Asagao had learned in that period of time since she first made her choice to side with neither country. Her way with the blade had improved astronomically, more than he thought was possible for such a short period of time. She’d picked up new skills from the ninjas in the group, so now she was a blur on the battlefield as she danced between her opponents. New weapon proficiencies, alchemical experimentation, even her strategic planning had far exceeded what he thought she could have been capable of at this stage.

Her newfound skills and talents were both impressive and a little terrifying. For once, Leo had at least one person who was capable of keeping up with him intellectually, a partner in pursuing knowledge at his level. But he admittedly felt rather irked; Asagao’s level of skill should have been the result of several months if not years of additional training. He’d overheard her telling people that her knowledge had come from being well read as a child. And while that wasn’t necessarily untrue, he knew the curriculum that Asagao had during their childhood, and it didn’t quite match up with what she was doing now. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she sealed herself in some time-altered dimension and trained and studied for years before returning to the current plane where not but a few days had passed. When he prompted her, Leo noticed how vague she had been, explaining that the war had forced her to learn faster. He dropped it after that, but the suspicion still lingered.

“Leo? What are you thinking about? You seem deep in thought.”

“I was… just thinking about how far you’ve come since you left the Northern Fortress for good.”

Asagao scratched the back of her head. “It does seem like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it? It feels like...it’s been forever, honestly. So many things have happened.”

The way she looked more distant caught his attention. Leo noticed that way her crimson eyes glazed over as her mind traveled far away. This too was something that occurred rather often that she didn’t used to do as a child. It worried him.

“Hey, Leo? Do you remember when we were children, and you asked me how I became interested in this in the first place?”

“Hmm? Yes, that was ages ago. Why?”

“Well, the other day when I was speaking with Ryoma, he told me that when I still lived in Hoshido, I was fascinated by Yukimura’s puppets,” she explained before quickly adding, “Yukimura was Queen Mikoto’s advisor and main tactician.”

Leo gave a sidelong leer at the now covered up puppet in the corner. “That explains a lot.”

“He told me that when I was little I had said my lifelong dream was to become the best toymaker in the entire country, and that I would make little toys for Takumi and Sakura whenever I could,” she chuckled.

That explained the feeling of familiarity she’d described all those years ago. “Like what you did for Elise and me.”

“Yes. It carried over to you… He’d even been kind enough to let me play with some of his safer constructions, and he was the one who gave me my first ever tinkering set.” Asagao stared up at the ceiling before saying, “A toymaker… A bit of a far cry from my current path, don’t you think?”

“Well, if you’re asking for my opinion, I’d say your current occupation is a bit more useful than a simple toymaker.”

“Ha, I suppose you’re right. A lot of things change from when we’re young, don’t they?”

“Some things.”

Leo wasn’t sure if it was the war that instilled the change he noticed in his childhood companion. There were times, like just then, when it looked like she was lost within her own mind, as if a thought had been so intrusive that it pushed everything else away. He could tell that the naivety she’d possessed before she’d been taken to Hoshido had long been shed away, her face now lined with the worry of one who’d seen war. Their little princess had grown up, far faster than anyone would have expected, and he wondered if there was some unseen burden she carried within her that she never voiced to the rest of them. The little girl he had fallen in love with so many years ago was not quite the same anymore.

But she was still beautiful. The kindness and compassion remained, even though there were times he was scared they hadn’t. Naivety was replaced by grace. There was purposeful deliberation behind many of her actions now, bearing the weight of someone who knew she’d thought things through. Tempered by experience, Asagao now had the traits worthy of a fine ruler. The grin of a mischievous young girl gave way to the smile of an elegant woman. Leo, in his heart, knew that he was doomed from the very beginning.

“You know, you still never really answered my other question about your hobby.”

“Which one would that be?”

“The one where I asked you, ‘Why?’”

Like the first time, it took Asagao a moment of deliberation before she could answer. She stared right into his eyes with a contemplative expression.

“Sometimes… In my heart, there are words...thoughts that I can’t always articulate well,” she said. “Sometimes it’s easier for me to express myself through my craft. Everything I create myself that I give to others always holds a piece of my heart within it. What I make for others, I put at least a hundred percent of myself into perfecting. It’s a bit of a comfort to me, knowing that something I make for another could help them in some way.”

“Those sentiments… Are they the same across all your creations?” he said. Realizing what he’d just blurted out, Leo felt like kicking himself and hoped she wouldn’t catch on.

She cocked her head a little to one side, and he resisted the urge to wince under her rather knowing gaze.

“Mostly, but just as every person is different, so too are my exact feelings towards them. Sometimes I just want them to find it useful. Sometimes I want them to be happy. Some things are… ways of apologizing. And others… Perhaps I just want the person to think of me, whenever they use it.”

“You’re good at communicating with others. Surely telling them directly is just as easy, if not more.”

“Perhaps. But there are some feelings,” she gave him a look he couldn’t quite identify, “that don’t always come out the right way. Some thoughts… that I should never really voice, that would be better kept to myself.”

He sat a little straighter. “Asagao, is...everything alright?”

Her voice was soft. “Fret not, dearest Leo. I’m simply experiencing some... nighttime sentimentality. You know how it goes.” She nodded towards a window, and he noticed for the first time the moon of the astral plane shining brightly in the sky.

“It’s not _that_ late into the night for that yet.”

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m just getting hungry.” She stood up and dusted herself off. The odd look disappeared, giving way to a smile. “It’s about time for supper, isn’t it? I’m sorry for keeping you so long. I don’t want you missing a meal.”

Asagao opened the door and nodded toward the outside. Though he had a lot on his mind, Leo took the time to walk with her to the mess hall, their conversation topics changed to cheerier things.  His thoughts couldn’t help but wander back to all the little inventions she’d given to him recently, wondering which pieces of her heart she’d sealed within them.

 


	3. Knives and Stolen Books

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is combat heavy.

They attacked not too long afterwards.

They were a large group split in two, enough to cover the southern and eastern entrances to the fort.  When scouts reported back in advance, Asagao chose to go and meet them rather than risk bringing damage to the fort.

While it wasn’t an easy fight, it wasn’t enough to give them significant amounts of trouble. Efficient use of tactics was enough to wear them down. With his last opponent before him on its last legs, Leo summoned Brynhildr’s power with a flourish. A thick tree trunk rocketed from the ground at an impossible speed, skewering his foe and snuffing whatever life was left. Leo sniffed dismissively, putting away the tome before turning his horse back in the direction of the fort. He scanned through his allies to make sure no one was in need of any immediate aid. He spotted Asagao making rounds on everyone a distance away and breathed a small sigh of relief to see her unhurt. When she looked up and saw him, she gave him a smile and a little wave before her expression changed to alarm as she noticed something behind him.

Leo wheeled around, catching a familiar flicker of light and a momentary appearance of a humanoid form moving away from them. He locked eyes with Asagao again before tugging the reins, galloping after the figure.

“Leo!”

“Just finish up back there! I’ll be fine!”

She looked like she was about to follow but held back at the last moment, giving a lingering look at his back as he rode away.

On horseback, it didn’t take him long to get closer, but he pulled on the reins to slow down as he scanned the environment, searching for any reinforcements. The chase had led him around a wide arc to the other side of the castle, leaving him suspicious. While he saw no additional forces, he spotted the lone figure a ways away, still moving away from the fort. Leo narrowed his eyes as he opened Brynhildr. The creature was far enough that made aiming difficult, so Leo reached his hand out and concentrated, the dark tome glowing for a few seconds in his hands. In the distance, the ground shuddered, and a large bramble of trees erupted from the earth, blocking the immediate path of the the straggler. He watched it pause, and it gave him enough time to get a bit closer and pull out a scroll.

With a wave of his hand, a Hoshidan glyph lit up beneath his horse, and an ethereal ox materialized, relentlessly barreling its way in the direction of the shimmer. Having nowhere to run in that moment, the target was utterly gutted by the ox’s horns, ramming it back against the wall of trees. The ox disappeared, and the figure’s form briefly materialized as it slumped at the base of the trees. Leo eyed it carefully as it dissolved away into water. He urged his horse forward so that it stepped over where its body disappeared, checking to make sure nothing remained. The summoned trees receded back into the ground as Leo sharply tugged at his reins to lead his horse back in the direction of the castle.

On the way back, he saw Asagao running towards him, looking surprised as she skidded to a halt. She was fully armed, prepared for a fight. It looked like she had intended to come to his aid. Leo slid down from his saddle as she reached for him.

“Is everything alright? Are you hurt? How many were there?”

“Are you underestimating me? I’m fine, it was just a straggler.” He made a face, stiffening as she patted him down and checked him for any injuries.

“You’re sure?”

Leo gestured to his horse. “Would you like me to check again?”

“No, no…! I trust you. It’s best that you come back and rest. I could get you something to eat, if you’d like.”

“I’m fine. Were there any injuries from your end?”

“No, nothing major.”

They walked side by side, Leo leading his horse along as they came up to the fort’s western entrance. Before they fully retreated back into the fort, Asagao stopped, looking off the ways to the side.

“Asagao? Is something wrong?”

“I thought I heard something,” she replied. Her red eyes gleamed as she critically scanned the nearby surroundings. Seeing nothing, she pursed her lips, shaking her head.

“We cleared the area so I doubt there’s anything left. I might just be paranoid… Some scouts later, perhaps…? Anyway, there are other things left to take care of, yes?”

They went back into the fort, and Leo eventually found his way back to his own lodgings. He shed his armor and changed into lighter clothing, neatly stowing his equipment  away. Immediately he had the strangest feeling that he was being watched. Leo peered out the nearest window, scanning outside the barracks. No one he didn’t recognize was nearby. Suspicious, but unable to find any evidence, he locked the window and the door as he left.

* * *

 

Leaning over a table,  Leo was deep in the middle of a game of a shogi with Prince Takumi, his concentration so intense that for a while he didn’t notice the sounds of commotion coming from outside.

“Do you hear that? What’s going on out there?” the Hoshidan prince asked, momentarily taking himself out of the game as he looked toward the door.

Leo made his move before leaning back into his chair. With his attention still partially devoted to the game, he felt little concern over the noise.

“Someone getting excited over training again? I’m sure someone will come get us if it’s serious. Your move.”

Takumi turned back to the game, but within seconds the two princes heard a loud shout coming from right outside. There was an urgent knock before a man with a ponytail burst through the door.

“Lord Takumi, Lord Leo! There’s some trouble!”

“Hinata? What’s with all the racket?”

“There’s been another attack, milord! It looks like they managed to slip inside the base!”

The two princes stood abruptly and gave each other startled looks before rushing out the door with Takumi’s retainer.

“How did they slip in? Where did they hit?” the Hoshidan prince demanded.

“I’m not too sure how they did it, but I think they went through some of the barracks.”

“The barracks?”

“Yeah! Actually,” Hinata glanced at Leo, “It might have been where your quarters were, Lord Leo.”

A chill gripped the mage’s heart for a moment before he picked up his pace, suddenly recalling the feeling of being watched just a few days before. He prayed it was just a coincidence, but Leo was too paranoid, too smart to really believe it.

As they approached the target site, the three of them scattered as the two Hoshidans went to investigate the other parts of the barracks. Leo hastily found his way to his own quarters, making sure to take note of any damage or evidence left behind. The door looked untouched. Heart beating in his chest, the prince made his way in.

It was just as he feared. He saw the window left wide open, his eyes trailing away from it as he noted scattered books and various other objects strewn across the floor. The blood drained from his face when he noticed the ransacked bookshelf, and he leapt into action, picking up and taking stock of the remaining tomes.

A fear like no other settled within him when he realized that he couldn’t find his Brynhildr. Leo gathered book after book, but there was no evidence of the tome. On top of that, several of his other more powerful magical articles were also missing.

Just as he felt his head beginning to spin, he heard someone run up to the door that he’d left open in his haste.

“Leo!” a familiar female voice called.

Leo wasn’t sure if he was glad or ashamed that it was Asagao who was the one to see his quarters in such a state. He turned around, face pale and expression grave, and watched as she took in the scene. Her eyes settled on the assortment of tomes and scrolls in his arms and that was when she knew.

“What’s missing?” she asked, her voice an almost chilling monotone.

He had to drag out his response, word by word. “Brynhildr is gone. As well as several of my other more powerful spells.”

Like Leo, the revelation made Asagao pause with shock, but in the next instant he could already see the gears turning in her head.

“Go and find your horse. I’ll meet you by the stables.” She gave him an intense look, most likely to spur him into action, before darting off. Leo pulled himself out of his stupor, burying the horror at the thought of Brynhildr in the hands of the enemy. He couldn’t afford to panic now, not in this crucial moment. After gathering what he could, he dashed off to the stables.

Asagao met up with him shortly after, carrying an assortment of objects with her.

“I’m sorry, you’ll have to make due with these for now,” she apologized as she pushed a Ginnungagap and a horse spirit scroll into his arms. With more delicacy, Asagao pulled out a small, shining object from her pocket. Leo recognized it as a pair of spectacles, a set he had seen before.

“Are they finished?” he asked in surprised.

“Mostly! The enchantments you put on them seem to be holding. I had been hoping to make them prettier, so these are just a prototype but… That’s neither here nor there! I thought they’d come in handy for today. Here.”

She gingerly placed the glasses over his face, sliding the correct lenses into place before letting him adjust. For the most part, his vision remained unchanged, but various spots and objects began to emit a glow. The levin sword she had with her crackled with the same energy as before. Her signature Yato emanated a different kind of aura, giving off a bright golden light that swirled and teemed with mystery and life. Around him, Leo also spotted other places in his sight that gave off energy that were not inherently magical items. Patches of dim light shimmered in different places, like the nearby dummy giving off the faded light of residual magic leftover from target practice, or even the surface of his own skin.

Asagao had used the most base of enchantments, but it was Leo who had refined and calibrated the finer parts of the magic where she could not. He could see not only direct sources of magical energies, but even traces of it left behind and the presence of spells normally invisible to the eye. In a more peaceful circumstance, he would have felt rather proud of his work.

“Does everything look alright?” the blue haired princess inquired.

“Yes. It seems like the enchantments are working just fine.”

“Good. Then let’s start with finding some tracks, or leftover residue from your Brynhildr. A tome that powerful no doubt leaves something behind. See if you can find a set of footprints leading to and away from your quarters.”

“Just one?”

Asagao nodded. “It seems only one managed to slip past the walls. Most likely it was the most they could manage; any more and they would have been detected before they could have gotten to their target. No, while we were concentrating our forces on repairing the fort, one of them slipped through the weaker defenses and made its way to the barracks.” She shook her head, looking apologetic. “I’m so sorry, Leo. I should have been more careful when I thought we were being watched the other day. They must have found their way through the fort by watching the two of us.”

Leo remembered the odd way in which the straggler broke off, the way its path seemed to wind rather than a simple straight path meant for escape. He exhaled sharply at his own carelessness before an unsettling thought crept into his mind.

“Asagao… The barracks… The others, did any of the others have anything taken?” While they were indeed one army, the Nohrians and Hoshidans had out of habit claimed their own separate areas within their fort for their private quarters. Xander slept not too far off from his own, and he shuddered at the thought of Siegfried in the hands of the enemy.

She shook her head. “Nothing important. It looks like Xander was training at the time of the burglary, so there was no chance of the thief getting his sword. There were other things that had been taken, but nothing of huge significance. Everything is usually locked up in the armory.”

Leo groaned. “Everything except my Brynhildr. I was careless.” He wasn’t sure how he could bear the shame of being the only one who had something so important taken away. As if guessing his thoughts, Asagao’s eyes softened and she squeezed his wrist reassuringly.

“It’s alright. We’ll get it back and… I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

“No one else knows?”

“No. I didn’t want to alarm anyone more than they already were. I just ordered them to focus on the incursion that’s outside the walls.”

The mage looked at her affectionately for a moment before pulling himself onto his horse. He hoisted Asagao into place behind him, making sure she was securely seated. Pulling the reins, he urged his horse out, his eyes darting intently at the ground.

Sure enough, the glasses proved their worth as Leo noticed a singular trail of faint spots traced around his quarters. He clicked his horse into a trot, seeing the way they led away from the direction of the main skirmish happening right now.

“You see something?” Asagao called.

“Moving towards the east exit! It looks like the fighting on the other side is a distraction.”

“Like before?”

Most likely. The fortress was large, and while Asagao had assembled a truly formidable group of individuals, it was still small for what was supposed to be an army. Focusing their attention in one place wouldn’t be difficult if one knew what they were doing. Leo filed the detail away to be addressed later. Some adjustments regarding distribution of troops would have to be made.

As they left the walls of the fort, Leo spurred his horse into a sprint as they continued following the trail. Perhaps it was foolish, to charge so quickly when they had no idea exactly how many enemies they faced, but he needed to retrieve Brynhildr as soon as possible. He felt Asagao tense behind him, one arm unwrapping from his middle as she reached for a weapon, ready to strike.

“Keep going and don’t stop. If anything tries to attack us, I can handle it.”

It was the best course of action. Out of the two of them, Asagao was leagues quicker and more skilled at hitting moving targets. By contrast, Leo needed a bit of time to cast his spells, and he admitted he didn’t have the greatest aim at times. Plus, he was the better rider of the two.

But as they went, Leo saw that shape of the prints changed and multiplied. He gritted his teeth as he worked out the shift from a pattern of two feet to a pattern of four. Somewhere along the line the thief must have hitched a ride. The thought had him pushing his horse as fast as he could get it; he prayed that there was no switch off to a flying unit that would make the chase even more difficult. Luckily, he could make out the signature energy residues left behind by Brynhildr that accompanied the footprints. In the back of his mind, he thanked Asagao for her idea. They would most certainly be lost without her invention. He promised to never question her creations ever again, no matter how strange or seemingly useless.

They dashed for only a few moments more before Leo picked up a larger figure moving ahead. With surprisingly clarity he could see the shimmering form of what was clearly the enemy: a galloping horse bearing two riders.

“There! Do you see them?” he called to his companion. Yet before he finished his last word, he saw a flash of energy as a bolt of lightning lit up the scene before him, barely missing its target and striking the ground next the other horse’s feet. Its riders seemed to flinch, and even the horse bristled at the suddenness of the attack, swerving just a little from their path.

_She’s so quick…!_

Another bolt of electricity struck, this time blasting the ground directly in front of the mount. The ghostly horse stopped and reared, giving Leo a bit more time to close the distance between them, enough so that he could finally spot a number of books clutched by one of the riders. Through the spectacles he could make out the purple aura of Brynhildr, and Leo felt a rush of angry drive and relief. They were close.

Having missed her targets both times, Asagao uttered a low curse from behind him, adjusting herself in the saddle to get a better look at the mounted units ahead of them. Her narrowed eyes reminded Leo that she couldn’t see their shapes as clearly as he could.

“Do you need these?” he asked, gesturing to the lenses.

“No, keep them! You’ll need them more if they try to run. Just try to get closer so I can actually land a hit!”

He complied, the rhythmic beating of his horse’s hooves against the ground thunderous within his ears. But as they neared, he just barely caught a glint of motion as something small flew towards them.

 _CLANG!_ A metallic collision rang through the air as Asagao knocked the projectile away with her sword just in time. Leo felt a small sense of amusement as he heard the normally well-mannered princess curse for the second time that day.

“Ninja?” she hissed.

Taking a closer look, it appeared that a kind of ninja was sitting on the back of what he could now identify as a great knight. With one arm pressing its stolen spoils to its chest, its other readied another weapon as its partner steadied its horse.

This time Leo was ready. He tugged his reins off to one side as several shuriken whizzed past them, carving a path to them from the side. Asagao shot another bolt of lightning at where she thought they might be, again landing close enough to somewhat throw them off, but not enough to actually hit. The horse’s frantic dodging finally gave her enough of a bead on them, and her second attack struck true: electricity slammed into the great knight, its armor channeling the current so that the horse and the ninja took some damage too, paralyzing them in place for a few more moments.

Leo took this moment to charge at them head on, unsheathing his own sword to the side. The iceblade’s chill felt at odds with the boil within his veins, stinging his fingers a little even through his armored gloves. Nonetheless, his grip around the hilt tightened as he readied himself for a joust to the death. How _dare_ these fools lay their unworthy hands on the most powerful tome known to man. He’d raze them into the ground.

Daggers zipped past his head towards their foes. The opposing ninja parried a few and some bounced off heavy plate, but there were still a decent number that landed strikes. The poison dripping from Asagao’s blades immobilized them, forcing their guards down long enough for him to gallop towards them and slash viciously at the riders. The ninja was quick enough to leap off the horse to dodge, but the knight was not so lucky. Sparks and speckles of ice sprayed from Leo’s magical blade as it ripped into the armor, tearing off several pieces as he rushed past. He rerouted his horse and hacked at it again, moving past it just fast enough to dodge a thrust from its lance.

The ninja on the ground proved to be the greater challenge. Small projectiles spun towards him and ricocheted off his arm, finding some purchase in the exposed parts of his horse. The beast whinnied as their opponent’s own poison seeped into it. It slowed down to the point where the ninja found another opportunity to strike, Leo being too slow to stop it.

Sword met kunai, and on the ground in front of him was Asagao, parrying the incoming blade away from him after rolling off his horse. Having caught her foe off guard, she took the opportunity to kick it, knocking it back several feet before taking another slash at it with an offhand strike. That hit landed as well, but she grew frustrated as the thing still refused to let go of the books in its arms.

“Give Leo back his tome, you!” she growled. She advanced, only to quickly leap back with a yelp as the armored unit came charging past her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a fast flash of metal and again barely dodged the bite of a kunai.

“Asagao! _Move!”_

Without thinking she lunged away, and a mass of glowing energy began forming where she and the ninja had battled. The bright orb of the Ginnungagap spell briefly coalesced before radiating outwards with a burst of brilliance. Unfortunately, Leo had been too slow to hit such a speedy opponent, but it was enough to create some distance for Asagao to breathe.

Not taking her eyes off of the enemy on the ground, she called behind her, “Leo, focus on the knight! I’ve got this one!” She switched out her levin sword for her Yato, feeling and balancing its weight against the dagger in her other hand. Divine energy steadily pulsed within her as she determinedly eyed the purple-bound tome still within her enemy’s grasp.  This was her fault; she’d been too careless and let enemies slip past their line of defense. And now look at where that had gotten them!

_I need to make it up to Leo somehow._

It was then that an idea began scratching the inside of her brain. Being preoccupied at the moment however, she pushed it out of mind, promising to revisit it when they returned to base.

Her opponent lunged, slashing at her face with its blade. Asagao blocked with the Yato and swung at its other arm with her dagger. It hit; her blade caught on its armor, and with a mighty wrench she pulled, enough to release the books from its grasp. They spilled onto the ground as she pushed her foe away from her and aimed again with her sword, this time cutting a chunk through its midsection.

As it doubled over, she recognized an opening, and it felt as though Asagao’s surroundings turned into a bloody red as she zeroed in on her target. Her knife, with master precision, whistled through the air, and the princess knew she’d found purchase. Her enemy’s formed fully materialized one last time, instinctively clawing at its throat trying to stymie the blood that no longer flowed. Its knees buckled and it collapsed, dissolving into mist.

Panting, she quickly snatched up the Brynhildr lying on the ground, feeling a rush of relief as she pressed it against her chest. The rest of Leo’s stolen items could wait; this was the most important thing she had to secure.

In her moment of relief, she didn’t notice the charging horse until the last second. She leapt away just in time to avoid being caught in the murderous rhythm of the horse’s feet, but she wasn’t quick enough to avoid a blow from the knight’s lance. Its tip glanced off her shoulder, and she winced as she rolled on it. That would be leaving a bruise the next morning.

It was then that she noticed another glowing orb beginning to form close to the great knight as it turned to charge again. Bearing such a heavy weight, it was nowhere near as agile as the ninja and caught almost the full blast of Leo’s spell. The beast stumbled, its armor charring and dented, its rider grappling for control.

Leo’s normally cool features were contorted in anger, his brown eyes burning holes into his foe. He spurred his horse to place himself as best he could between his companion and the mounted unit, swinging his misting sword as a challenge.

The great knight reared and charged. Leo pulled his horse away and brought his sword down on the knight’s unshielded side. Unable to resist his blade’s powerful enchantment, the knight’s forearm was sliced off, dropping to the ground and fading into mist.

If the invisible soldiers had the capacity to scream, Leo was sure this one would be doing so. The knight stopped a moment, its horse wildly struggling against its reins, before the rider tugged as hard as it could away from Leo and Asagao.

Leo felt another searing rush of fury. The damn thing had the gall to try and steal his tome, and now it was trying to run away? Absolutely _insufferable._

Flipping open his tome, he held his hand out as he summoned his magical reserves once more. An orb slowly coalesced once more before rapidly bursting outwards, but it was not enough. The great knight had just barely ran out of the range of the spell. Leo grit in his teeth. Ginnungagap, while powerful, was not a suitable spell on fast moving targets, and the nature of it required him to take time in between castings to be maximally effective. And at the speed the knight was riding, he wasn’t sure it was time he had.

HIs thoughts were interrupted when he felt a nudge at his side. Looking down, the mage prince saw Asagao down below, offering the Brynhildr up to him with a determined yet pleased expression.

“Here. It’s yours.”

His lips curled into a small smile. In a reverent manner, he took the book, overjoyed at the familiarity, at being reunited with an old companion. The tome’s ancient holy energy radiated within him as Leo once again felt the power of the earth. With a sweep of his hand, thick plant life ripped its way out of the ground at impossible speeds and formed a wall in front of the knight. The horse crashed into the thick brush and collapsed, knocking its rider to the ground.

Next to him Asagao cheered him on, and Leo prepared his final attack. Sturdy wooden trunks crept from the ground, grappling the horse and its rider in a death trap. He paused a moment, allowing the two beings to struggle for a bit. But with another burst of energy, Brynhildr summoned spikes from the earth, piercing both his targets from all possible directions. Their forms fully materialized as their movements ceased, and then they too dissolved away.

Leo took the time to catch his breath, his chest heaving as the rush of battle subsided. As he inspected the Brynhildr for any damage, Asagao gathered the rest of the items that had been stolen. She stowed them in a pack and offered it to Leo.

“Does this look like everything?”

Leo confirmed that they had recovered what had been taken, and with his help Asagao clambered back onto the saddle behind him. Once more she wrapped her arms around his waist, this time resting her chin on his shoulder.

“Phew. I’m glad that worked out.”

The prince gently pulled at the reins to guide his horse back to the fort. “I never thought something like this could happen,” he grumbled. “I’ll have to be more careful from now on.” Being without Brynhildr admittedly made him feel naked and defenseless, no matter what else he was equipped with.

“I’m so sorry about that, Leo. I’ll make sure to fix a few things once we get back,” she apologized again.

In a time before this one, he would have chastised her. But with the quietness of the forest around them, her face so near that her breath was tickling his chin, he just didn’t have the heart. In all the times they’ve ridden together before, Leo never remembered her being so close before. They were riding slow enough that she didn’t really need to hold on as tightly, yet she was holding him close enough as if she was embracing him. She had pressed herself so close that even through the armor Leo could almost feel, could imagine the way her curves nestled against his back.

He pushed the thoughts aside. She was just tired, after all. He needed to get them back to base quickly, to get some rest and make sure no one would panic at the disappearance of two of the royals.

“No need to apologize. It was something I overlooked as well,” he muttered. “I really do need to find a way to secure Brynhildr better though. I can’t just carry it with me wherever I go.”

“Hmm,” she mused. “I may have a solution for that.”

“Asagao?”

“Oh… I was just thinking.”

He’d known her for too long to not recognize the beginnings of an idea forming within her head. Leo grew silent, giving her space to think as they slowly made their way home.

 


	4. New Habits, Warm Hands

In the days since Leo’s quarters had been raided, the distribution of the guards were changed, more precautions were placed, the fort generally becoming more well guarded as holes in its defenses were steadily filled. Asagao, with a glee Leo thought only mad inventors would have, finally implemented the rest of her puppets, and they proved a valuable resource when sentinels were short staffed--not that it made him any more partial to them, something their creator still found massively amusing.

True to her promise, the princess said nothing to the rest of the army about what had truly been taken. Upon returning to the fort, Asagao simply told them that the enemy had raided the barracks in an assassination attempt. She and Leo had caught sight of them just as they were about to escape. No one even thought about questioning her, allowing Leo to breathe a small sigh of relief as he could replace his missing things without any scrutinizing gazes.

The glasses he returned. He noted some small flaws within the design, but honestly had no substantial criticisms for them.

“Thank you. We… I’d have been lost without y--them,” he said, hoping she didn’t catch the stumble in his words.

Hearing how useful her gadget had been, Asagao could only beam.

“I’m happy that I could help! Now that I know they work, I can get started on a better design.”

“Do you need help with the enchantments again?”

“Mm… Maybe, but I think I’ve got it down. I’ll try it myself first. Thank you for offering. Don’t worry. I promise I won’t blow anything up!”

As much as he wanted to keep chatting with her, Leo could find no other words to say, watching as she ran off to do her own work. He thought about all that had transpired up to that point almost wistfully. Leo had always been in control in any situation he’d been in, always taking charge and able to think himself out of a situation. In their childhood, he felt he’d taken up a role of a guardian figure over Asagao, despite being younger. Yet watching her back like this, he couldn’t help but feel like he was being left behind. The thought scared him a little.

What would he ever do without her?

He didn’t see her as often for a few weeks, having shut herself in her workshop during most of her free time. Leo knew her well enough to know it meant she was feverishly working on something new. And while seeing her work so hard on something always impressed him, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little sad that he didn’t see her as often. A small, selfish part of him tried to devise ways of luring her out of her private study. Something related to the guard roster? A lie about Xander or Ryoma needing her for something? But he always cut those trains of thought off before they got too far. There was a part of him that still didn’t know how much to reveal, how much to express, how much of his heart to bare to her. He could use a bit of the space to get himself sorted out before figuring out his next move; the last thing he wanted to do was alienate her.

So Leo let Asagao be, waiting with lonely patience.

After a few weeks, he was happily surprised when she ran up to him, a pleased look across her face.

“Leo! I found you!”

“Asagao? Is something wrong?”

“Do things have to be wrong for me to come find you?”

“Not necessarily, but considering how busy you’ve been as of late, I thought--”

“I _was_ busy, but I finally finished what I was working on. I came by to ask if you had time right now to see it.”

Of course he agreed. She smiled as she took his hand, tugging him once more in the direction of her personal work space. The interior looked as busy as ever; various concoctions and elixirs were being brewed on one side. Books were stacked on a table, various bookmarks protruding from between the pages, next to unfurled scrolls etched with neat black script. The puppets--much to his relief--were gone, out patrolling the entrances to the fort. Her tinkering counter was as chaotic as ever. This time Leo noticed an excess of wood shavings littering the vicinity, and several metalworking tools were laying about.

Excited, Asagao pulled something out from under a desk. It was a rectangular object wrapped in cloth, mostly likely to protect the outside until she needed it. With a dramatic flourish that almost made him roll his eyes, she pulled the fabric away.

It was a chest, small enough that it could be carried around, but large enough to be able to fit a book or two inside. The wood was a dark red, smoothly carved with a beautiful finish. Elegant, swirling patterns were painstakingly carved around the sides of the box, lined with a small amount of silver and gold paint. The most unusual aspect of it was a set of what appeared to be switches on the front. There were two: a larger one that looked to be sealing the lid of box, and a smaller one underneath, its function indiscernible at the moment. Each switch was composed of six dials with what appeared to be letters of the alphabet carved into them.

Leo examined it from afar for a few minutes before looking up at the blue haired princess and saying, “It’s…beautiful.”

Asagao smiled, pleased with her work. She carefully held up the box for him to inspect closer. “I’m glad you like it! I’ve been working on it for a while now. I wanted to make sure you got my very best.”

There was no way for her to know, but her words caused his heart to beat a little faster. He took the small chest in his hands as Asagao pointed at the switches.

“After what happened during the attack, I thought I could make you something that could prevent incidents like that from ever happening again.”

Leo couldn’t help but make a face, something that didn’t escape her. Asagao gave him a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry for bringing it up again, but you know it’s not something we can ignore!” she chuckled. “But here. I made you a chest for you to put Brynhildr inside, if you wanted.” She pointed at the bigger switch at the top. “I put some special locks on it for you. You need a password to unlock each. This top one is what unlocks the chest itself you can open it.”

“And the bottom?”

Asagao grinned, taking the chest from him and placing it on a nearby table. Placing her hand on the top, Leo noticed a faint glow of magic come from the object before she stepped away.

She gestured to it. “Try to pick it up.”

Grasping the side of it, Leo pulled, only to find that his hand caught, the chest unmoved. He pulled a little harder, but to no avail. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a familiarity within the spell, and looked up at the princess with a raised eyebrow.

“I had to tweak it a bit, but you can probably already tell it’s a spell similar to what your Brynhildr does,” Asagao explained. “Once you take some time to attune to it, the enchantment allows the chest to move only when the correct password is inputted. Just in case someone decides to run off with the entire chest instead. All you have to do is choose your passcodes.”

Leo took the time to inactivate the spell himself before picking up Asagao’s gift and looking it over again. “Do you ever wonder if there are simpler ways for you to address these issues? Surely there are easier methods than building an entire chest for a book.” he teased.

She chuckled. “Perhaps, but I always have much more _fun_ this way. And it doesn’t just hold Brynhildr! I made sure to add extra compartments for you as well!”

They spent the next hour together working out how the locks worked and ensuring the enchantment was stable. The loneliness that settled within him dissipated; Leo never felt more relieved just to hear her voice and see her smile. The war had changed Asagao, and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t frightened at how drastic these changes would be. He could see the naivety being stripped away from her, and he could only wonder what else the war had taken away. It was foolish for him to think Asagao would remain the same as time passed, as they all grew older and marched through the experiences life presented them. Yet growing up, she had always been a constant within the prince’s life, a source of comfort within the chilling borders of Nohr. To see her lose that beautiful spark she had within her to constant strife would break his heart.

And so, as jealous as he could be whenever her attention was diverted away from him towards her projects, Leo would always be grateful for the hobby. It was a piece of childhood, a fragment of happier times that would light her face with life that he always loved seeing. Whomever this Yukimura was, the prince silently thanked him for giving Asagao this gift that had lasted through the years.

He was so engrossed within his own thoughts that Leo initially didn’t hear Asagao calling his name.

“Goodness, Leo. If I was boring you so much, you could at least let me know. No need to hold back,” she groused. Leo coughed.

“My apologies. It wasn’t you, I promise.”

“Are you sure? You didn’t seem to be listening to what I was saying but you seemed to be very intent at staring at me…”

Heat crept up his neck. “I-is that so? I had no intention of making you uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine. I… Well, I just sometimes… Sometimes I just wonder what you’re thinking, is all…”

_I share the sentiment._

They sat in silence for a few moments before Leo cleared his throat. Tucking the chest securely under his arm, he looked around her workshop, looking for something else to talk about.

“I’m sorry for not speaking to you much these past few days while I was working on this,” Asagao blurted.

He blinked. “It’s fine. I know you were working hard, like with everything you do.”

“Well, it’s just… I’m sorry, sometimes I get the impression that I devote so much of my attention to this that I end up neglecting other important things as well. This... _hobby_ of mine shouldn’t come at your expense, and for that, I’m sorry.” The princess nervously pleated her hands in front of her. “It was fine when I still lived in Nohr, since there were never too many people around and I needed something to occupy my time, but it’s irresponsible of me now to do this when I have an army to watch over.”

Leo found himself sternly shaking his head. “Asagao, no.”

“I just--”

“There is absolutely no need to apologize. The tinkering, the inventions, I _encourage_ them. I have since we were children, and I still stand by that to this day. Yes, we are at war but there is no need for you to devote every waking thought to it. You would collapse from the effort within days, if not hours.”

She fidgeted, scratching her neck. “I just… Sometimes I just wonder if I’m just distracting myself with meaningless work. I wonder if I’m doing enough. I’m always...wondering if I’m doing enough. Then I come back and do this to get away from those thoughts but then it just keeps going…”

Leo reached forward and firmly grasped her hand, surprising her. His brown eyes engaged her red ones and locked them into place.

“Listen to me. Perhaps I was a bit harsh with you in the past… But the whole army can see how much you devote to us. You should feel no shame in having some time for yourself. All of us appreciate your efforts, I promise. None of your work is ever meaningless. Do not ever demean yourself like that.

“Look around us. Even in your personal time, you’re still somehow working, on bettering yourself or bettering the army. You are never doing just ‘enough’. You are always doing more than enough, more than what we expect of you.”

His words seemed to have reached her. She smiled a little. “Even with your lofty expectations?”

“I may tease, but I do hope you know how much I--how thankful I am for what you do. And I… I do worry at times.”

“...I see. Thank you for telling me that.”

It seemed that he had lifted some kind of weight off her shoulders, and her smile came more easily. For a moment, the worry lines disappeared, and Leo was reminded of how young and beautiful she was. Sitting alone with her, in this small private space, he suddenly felt overwhelmed, intoxicated by her presence. His hand twitched with the urge to touch her face, to run his thumb over her lips and feel her warmth, and maybe he’d be closer to knowing her, to understanding the thoughts that turned behind those ruby eyes.

Luckily--or perhaps it was unlucky--she stood from her seat before he could do anything.

“I’m feeling a bit hungry. I think I might go and ask Jakob if he could prepare a snack,” she said. “Care to join me, Leo? I’d love to make up lost time and chat with you some more.”

Leo rose with her, shifting his gift under his arm. “I’d like that.”

She must have seen something on his face, because she immediately replied with a grin, “Ah, did you miss me that much while I was busy?”

“Must you always tease me like this?” he complained as he felt the heat rush up his neck. “I am not a little boy anymore.”

For some reason, his words gave her pause. Asagao cocked her head a little to the side, scrutinizing him. Leo resisted the urge to fidget in place as he wondered what she could be thinking about. Had his statement made her see some kind of deficiency? Did she find him lacking?

Yet all she did was laugh. “You’re right. You _have_ grown into quite a capable man, haven’t you, Leo?” She tapped her mouth with a smile, her eyes twinkling. “But it’s still you. I still enjoy being with you like this.”

It was comforting to hear that despite everything, that much hadn’t changed between them. Leo had known about Asagao’s heritage for a long time, but a part of him had always been afraid of what would happen if she ever learned it herself. After the war fully broke out, he had secretly despaired over her disappearance. Would she hate her Nohrian family, thinking they were complicit with Father’s past actions? Would she think they kept her locked away on purpose?

He was a fool, in the end. Asagao had so much faith in all of them; he was ashamed he didn’t feel the same. For once he was glad to be proven wrong.

She  must have been able to see the relief in his face, as the next thing she said was, “Oh, don’t worry, Leo. You’ll always be my favorite. Don’t tell anyone else, alright?”

He couldn’t fight back the blush any longer, and the princess laughed at how flustered he was. Asagao took Leo’s hand and pulled him out of the workshop, where a faint, pleasant smell wafted from the direction of the mess hall. Feeling some resistance behind her, she turned to see Leo lost in thought.

“Leo? Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no, it’s just… I was thinking about what you said before, about putting your feelings into what you create.”

“Yes…?”

“I was just…wondering what you were thinking when you were making this for me.”

The words slipped out before he could stop them, and Leo again suddenly wondered if he revealed too much of his hand. Asagao looked puzzled, and a little reluctant.

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that; I know you said that it was hard to put into words--”

“I wanted you to be safe.”

Leo did a double take, surprised that she actually answered. “Safe?”

“Safe, happy. I know how much you value Brynhildr, and how upsetting it was for you when it was taken. I imagine you must have felt… quite vulnerable when it all happened. I just wanted you to have some peace of mind.

“This is a war. I have to accept that I can’t protect you all the time. And I have to accept that I can’t make you happy all the time either. But if it helps, if I can do something that can help… I can feel a little better when I go to sleep. I want to help you, Leo. I want to make you smile, even when I know I can’t. But I do my best anyway. That’s what I was thinking.”

He felt his heart race. Leo tucked the words away for later, to savor on his own time. And even though he knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t help but feel a small glimmer of hope in her words. Could she…?

His thoughts were interrupted by a growling stomach, and it was Asagao’s turn to blush as she quickly covered her stomach.

“O-oops. Time to eat, I suppose,” she said sheepishly.

Leo shook his head and smiled. He nudged her along, feeling more satisfied than he’d been in ages. The small chest was nestled safely at his side, another one of the countless gifts she’d given him over the years. Leo would never be able to express his gratitude properly with words alone.

He thought of another box, much smaller, stashed away in his room, and wondered whether he’d ever get a chance to give her a gift of his own.                                                                  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!


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